I am a mom, not a business. I offered to help with refreshments for 1st Communion at church next weekend. I had no idea they would then ask me to do cupcakes for 70 kids plus two large sheet cakes. They are expecting 270 people at this!

I did some cupcakes last weekend, swirled the icing on with a large star tip. Those were for a bakesale. There were a few left over and the next day, the icing didn't look fresh. It was crusted and tasted fine but didn't look fresh. No way can I do the 70 cupcakes the morning of the event - it starts at 9 a.m.

Is there a non-crusting buttercream icing that would work with the large star tip? I'm making run sugar crosses to plop in the icing. 80 of those as I'm sure some will break.

I will have to do the cakes the day before - should I refridgerate them or let them stay on the counter? They will be done in buttercream.

Thanks for any and all help - sorry for the long post.

As long as you have no perishable fillings the cakes can stay out. For the cupcakes, I would do them last thing before you go to bed the night before and I'd think they'd be fine. I only use a crusting bc, but I think if you do an all butter bc, it doesn't crust, so that could be an option. Though don't quote me on it. Your post isn't long and never apologize for asking for help.

I use IMBC and I LOVE IT! I will never go back to american bc again, except for a vegan cake I have in May and they want all crico frosting. I am dreading having to work with it again

give IMBC a try, it doesn't crust and it tastes like vanilla ice cream (i always add extra vanilla)

you can make it any flavor/color.

there is a big ? about refrigerating IMBC. Some say it can only stay out of the frge for 8 hours, some say up to 24 hours.

I made cupcakes with IMBC last week and left them on the counter for 2 days and after inspecting them and smelling them my husband and I ate them and they were fine, and we are fine.

I guess it depends on how hot your house is but I think the cakes should be fine out of the fridge over night.

I don't know what kind of buttercream you make. But if you add Meringue powder to it normally, don't add it in this batch. I never add to mine now. The icing will still crust some, but no where near as much when you add meringue powder. I would have your cakes done the night before. As sarahnichole975 said if you don't have perishable fillings it will be fine to leave them out all night. I would also try to at least back the cupcakes the day before. HTH

I've done cupcakes with the Wilton buttercream recipe the night before and the look fine for the next day especially if the Mass is at 9 AM. I would have good containers so the tops don't get smashed, but would not refrigerate. How big are your sheet cakes? I hope you don't have a child in the First Communion group too...that makes for a hectic couple of days

Hi there. Do the cupcakes the day before. Make a buttercream icing with JUST butter and icing sugar (won't crust). Make boxes to fit in your fridge (or if you live in Western Canada you can just leave them outside, at it's still below 0 degrees outside... UGH!!!) out of corrugated plastic (PM me) and cover with the press'n'seal. A large sheet of cor-plast is rather inexpensive. You get it at the hard-ware store. And in making the boxes, you need to transport the cupcakes anyway, so why not? Better than spending more on under the bed storage containers on wheels (although those are good too, and will take about 4 dozen cupcakes). HTH

I don't know what kind of buttercream you make. But if you add Meringue powder to it normally, don't add it in this batch. I never add to mine now. The icing will still crust some, but no where near as much when you add meringue powder. I would have your cakes done the night before. As sarahnichole975 said if you don't have perishable fillings it will be fine to leave them out all night. I would also try to at least back the cupcakes the day before. HTH

i have a good non-crusting BC, PM me and i will send it to you

i use karo syrup in mine so it doesn't crust

Wow - thanks for all the suggestions. I use the old Wilton BC with equal butter/crisco and I use milk rather than water. Never have added meringue powder.

My big concern is how do I do two big 12x18 two layer sheetcakes the same day I do the 70 cupcakes? I could do a buttercream transfer of a chalice/host, could pin prick it, not yet comfortable with how exactly to proceed. 80 run sugar crosses are done for the 70 cupcakes. I'm calling in some help to swirl on the BC on the cupcakes with the large star tip. My friend that I taught how to do the cookies has agreed to come over - and thank heavens! she is tight with the priest at church and can get us into it on Friday night to set up. She'll help with that too - carting it all in setting it up. I feel I HAVE to do this Friday night. I have twins making their first communion and we have to be at church for pictures at 8:45 a.m. on Saturday - service @ 10. Reception immediately after. My worry about people coming is relieved. The kids will process out of the church and directly into the hall where the reception will be. Hopefully parents will stick around and eat cake! Think the mothers will approve if I skip chocolate cupcakes for their little girls in white!

Thanks for all the suggestions - it gives me a lot of confidence to know I'm not alone! Thanks - becky - The picture is the cross my daughter Meghan made all be herself. All I did was box it the next day so she could take it to school and show her friends. The crosses for the cupcakes are the same design.

I would start baking the 12x18 cakes today. One or two today and then one or two a day untill all four are compelted. I would wrap and put in the freezer until you are ready to decorate thursday night or Friday night (I would decorate the cakes thursday night and do the cupcakes on Friday)

Make all of your icing on Tues/Wednesday and get all of your colors mixed.

Get your crosses for the cupcakes completed during the week so all you have to do is set them on after putting the swirl on.

If you want to do a Buttercream transfer get it started now. it can sit in the freezer for a few days without any problems. Then if you don't like the first one you have the opportunity to re-do it.

Hope this timeline helps a little. I am sure I missed some stuff,so if anymore questions ask!

Great ideas - I had thought of those and I'm glad you suggested it too. Gives me more confidence! Do you think if I baked one today, another tomorrow ... you'd freeze them til Thursday morning? Or take them out late Wed night?

Another thought I had --- if the cake is not very cold - how in the world do I pick up the huge top layer to flip it on the bottom layer when I'm ready without breaking it? I've never worked with a two layer cake this large!

Thanks so much for all the help! becky

Use cake boards to move them around. Flip it onto a cake board from the cooling rack and then slide it onto the other layer. Good luck! You are very generous to be doing this much cake for free.

When I have to work with 12x18, I freeze the layers til solid (at least the top layer) then place it on top of the filling. it'll thaw in an hour or so. In a pinch you can ice it frozen. I think I'm a spaz and have had too many cracked layers the other way!

Thanks again! Two layers are wrapped and in the freezer. I made 5 box mixes and used about 4 3/4 of it. The last little bit made a couple cupcakes so I could have confidence in the taste. YUMMY!

I saw the gal in charge at church on Sunday. I had taken in cupcakes for the last RE class. She saw them and said she didn't realize I was a professional (we're new in town - I barely know her). I laughed and told her I wasn't, only do it for fun, and have done it since I was a kid. She went on to say she had yet to order cake for the May 10th 1st communion .... throwing out a fishing line. I did NOT bite the hook. I said sincerely - "I'll be pooped by then!".

Later thought about that ... my daughter takes singing lessons and her teacher's sister is a professional singer and sings in Disney movies. My daughter got an opportunity to sing for her. Her best advice ... if anyone asks you to sing - SING! You never know who may be listening. I hope I didn't mess up. If someone asks you to make cake ... yeeks - you never know who may eat it!

WOW--you've got your hands full! I just did a cake this size this weekend. What I did was take out the bottom layer(I had frozen the cakes) and fill it and then I got the top layer from the freezer and set it on top. Frozen cakes are easy to deal with. Then I just waited awhile for it to defrost and then started frosting. I'm not sure what smoothing method you use (I've just started the viva method & love it) but make sure you have enough icing mixed up before you start. I didn't this weekend when I did mine and it was a nightmare! Good luck

How long does it take to thaw - and does it leave condensation on the icing? What do you do about that? I use the viva method and my hands. Started with the viva towel and a roller, then the fondant smoother, now I realizes my hands are just as good - and easier! I know where they are!!!

Thanks for all the posts to this topic. In the end, I tried to flip the top layer and it began to break. I then nudged, prodded, and prayed to get it in place. The other layers were on the counter, out of the freezer for less than an hour. I grabbed the buttercream, unwrapped, and crumb coated them then and there. I will always do this in the future. In the end products, you could not tell which was frozen and which was not. I don't even know which was and wasn't. It was a bit hectic!

Delivered the goods on Friday night with the help of a friend. On Saturday morning, all looked lovely. Nothing melted in the night, no ants infested the hall, and the colors did not bleed. It was a huge success. There were only crumbs left. The cupcakes were gone in a flash.

One guy, in his 50's, came up to me asking if I did this as a business. I explained I'd love to but it is illegal in TX without a separate kitchen and my kids come first. I won't work away from home. He said he was a JUDGE - and said he didn't know about all that he just knew his wife loved my cake and "how can we work this out?" I refered him to the website and told him I'd do it or free. What could I do at that point? I was so glad I had been honest!

I posted the pictures in my photos. Thanks for all the help and encouragement!